Earlier this year, Gallup published the 2022 report “The State of Sleep in America” with Casper. The results were pretty astounding. Here we’re going to break down what we found to be some of the most surprising and insightful pieces of information about how Americans currently feel about their sleep.
The Good News
1. Over half of Americans (55%) cite getting a good night’s sleep as a major priority.
Reaction: This is awesome to hear - because it really shows that as a society our head is in the right place. We understand the importance of quality sleep, and we have a desire to achieve it. That said, which you’ll see later, the desire alone doesn’t get you where you want to go without the proper actions to support it.
2. Fruits, vegetables and moderate exercise prove to be a recipe for better sleep. Going from 0 to at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise 3+ times a week led to a 30% greater chance of having an excellent night’s sleep. Similarly, going from 0 to at least 5 servings of produce each week led to a 35% greater chance of having an excellent night’s sleep.
Reaction: While we know the benefits of fitness and nutrition, we don’t often think of it in the context of sleep - it’s really interesting to quantify the extent to which these areas serve to improve your sleep.
The Bad News
1. There’s a clear reciprocal relationship between mental health and sleep, and a rise in mental health issues is having a major impact on quality of sleep (and vise versa). Young adults — under the age of 30 — struggle the most with sleep and with stress. And their difficulties sleeping affect their daily lives (nearly seven in 10 say sleep has a direct impact on their mood).
Reaction: We need to be thinking of more integrated solutions that address sleep and mental health in a collaborative way (i.e. tying meditation or mindfulness apps to sleep tracker, or thinking about coaching/teaching the next generation about healthy sleep routines).
2. Long term health conditions also continue to inhibit sleep, including depression and anxiety (57% higher chance of poor sleep), sleep apnea (54%) and recurring neck or back pain (54%). However, these impacts aren’t nearly as severe as stress (96% higher chance of poor sleep) and worry (69%).
Reaction: We’re seeing our day-to-day affect our sleep significantly more than long-term conditions; which is a positive in the sense that we actually have more control over how we respond to the day-to-day. This means it could actually be easier for us to improve upon these sleep-inhibiting woes vs. the more systemic issue which (fortunately) have a relatively less severe impact.
The Solutions
1. 75% of excellent sleepers have a bedtime routine that they follow. In other words, they have a schedule and the tools & resources they need to sleep effectively. Here are some of the tactics they use most frequently to help fall asleep: open window/air conditioning (21%); noise machine (12%); and non-medical sleep aids like tea or melatonin (11%).
Reaction: It’s normal to “need help” falling asleep - finding that routine that works for you, and even iterating on it to continually improve it, is the same way you’d tackle anything you’re trying to be excellent at.
2. Finally, here’s what rose to the top of the list when people were asked what were the most important factors in getting an excellent night’s sleep:
Reaction: I look at this list and I think - how can we make these top six items happen consistently every night for people? Because that’s directly in line with our goal of bringing people consistent, optimal sleep. In summary, this supports our conviction that the right bed pillow can make all of the difference in achieving excellent sleep because
- It helps eliminate pain or discomfort (i.e. its comfortable)
- It helps regulate temperature
- It allows you to sleep restfully throughout the night (i.e. stay asleep)
- Oh and bonus - you’re always safer in “the Pack”
Take the first, and most important step in getting your optimal sleep by finding the bed pillow that’s built for you.
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